Today, oil prices retreated from three-month high reached yesterday, which was due to published reports, which showed that the number of applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. last week rose more than expected. At the same time, the pressure on oil has concerns that the new U.S. budget will not lead to a sufficiently rapid reduction in the deficit. Note that during the current session, prices showed their first decline in three days.

We also recall that last night, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a budget bill, according to which overrides the automatic tax increases and spending cuts. However, the rating agency Moody, that cutting spending is not enough to avoid a sovereign downgrade.

In addition, the Agency noted that the ratio of U.S. debt to gross domestic product is likely to peak at 80% in 2014 and may remain around this level until the end of the decade.

Note also that many market participants are waiting for tomorrow's report on stocks, which provided the Ministry of Energy. It is predicted that oil reserves fell by 500,000 barrels to 370.6 million level in the seven days ended Dec. 28.

Recall that the report this week will be presented to two days later than usual because of the celebration of the New Year.

February futures price of U.S. light crude oil WTI (Light Sweet Crude Oil) fell to 93.11 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

February futures price for North Sea petroleum mix of mark Brent rose by 0.18 dollars to $ 112.30 a barrel on the London Stock Exchange ICE Futures Europe.

In today's trading gold is trading with a moderate decrease, while the last two weeks prices have reached a maximum. As economists say, today's decline was due to the sharp appreciation of the dollar and the slowdown in the stock markets. At the same time, many investors looked forward to the next budget negotiations in the U.S., as the euphoria associated with the vote on the "budget cliff" has disappeared.

Meanwhile, the price of gold is at the present employment data from ADP, which showed that private sector employers to increase jobs than expected in December.

Note also the gold price for the importers in India fell slightly today, which was caused by rumors of a tax on imports, but despite this, the weak rupiah helped keep prices near their highest level in two weeks.

Also today, the Istanbul Gold Exchange reported that gold imports in Turkey increased by 57% last year to 120.78 tonnes from 79.7 tonnes in 2011.

February futures price of gold on the COMEX is now 1679.80 an ounce.

Change % Change Last

Oil$92.88-0.24-0.26%

00:00Japan Bank holiday-

00:00China Bank holiday-

01:00China Non-Manufacturing PMIDecember 55.656.1

07:00United Kingdom Nationwide house price indexDecember 0.0%+0.1%

07:00United Kingdom Nationwide house price index, y/yDecember -1.2%-1.0%

08:00United Kingdom Halifax house price indexDecember 0.0%+0.1%

08:00United Kingdom Halifax house price index 3m Y/YDecember -1.2%

08:00Switzerland KOF Leading IndicatorDecember 1.501.39

08:30Switzerland Manufacturing PMIDecember 48.548.7

08:55Germany Unemployment ChangeDecember 511

08:55Germany Unemployment Rate s.a.December 6.9%6.9%

09:00Eurozone M3 money supply, adjusted y/yNovember +3.9%+3.8%

09:30United Kingdom PMI ConstructionDecember 49.349.6

09:30United Kingdom BOE Credit Conditions SurveyIV quarter

13:15U.S. ADP Employment ReportDecember 118134

13:30U.S. Initial Jobless Claims- 350356

19:00U.S. FOMC meeting minutes-